


What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.!

by DrNeverland



Series: You Never Hear the One That Gets You [3]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Babies, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Disability, F/M, Hostage Situations, Post-Canon, Scars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-03-31 05:56:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13968804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrNeverland/pseuds/DrNeverland
Summary: Gage has to return to the Brotherhood. Val isn't happy about that. Neither are their kids. But, as Gage heads to answer the call of duty, Val has to be ready at a Minute's Notice, and meets someone... new...





	1. Strength!

Sunlight didn’t quite make it into the windows of Valkyrie’s old Sanctuary house. The angle made it face south, so when the sun began to rise, everything became cast over in blues and grays. It was in this soft light that Val studied Gage’s sleeping face, the lines worn in by time less harsh with him relaxed. Val could not relax and had hardly slept, knowing that in a few hours, Gage was to be headed back to the service of the Brotherhood, on Maxson’s orders. While her initial instinct had been to argue that Gage go AWOL, his reminder that tensions were high enough with the Brotherhood, and the last thing they needed was an all-out war between factions. The Brotherhood’s stranglehold on the coast made the Castle a primary target, should things go wrong.

Hence, Val being awake at... She paused and lifted her Pip-boy, checking the time. Just after five in the morning. Summer held on long enough to make the days longer, and the nights sticky with humidity. Despite the heat, Val pushed up closer to Gage; he jolted awake for a moment before calming, mumbling to her as he draped an arm around Val’s waist.

“Y’can’t go wakin’ a man like that, baby,” Gage grumbled, shifting and settling down again with his eyes closed. “Y’even sleep?”

“Not really,” she murmured back, tucking her head under his chin. “Maxson’s gonna want you to spill everything about this place, I know it.”

“Prob’ly,” Gage agreed as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Won’t do no good to up an’ assault the place yet. Jus’ lemme see what he wants.”

“Is it too much to hope he’ll dismiss you from duty?”

“Yep.”

Val sighed and squeezed her arms around Gage’s waist. “I know.”

 

The Vertibird with the Brotherhood’s logo landed just outside of Sanctuary. Val, Shaun, and Preston were there to see him off, with Freya looked after back home by MacCready and Codsworth. Gage had said his goodbyes to his baby before they headed out, leaving him to have one final farewell out in the field.

“Don’t get yourself killed for Maxson,” Val shouted, the Vertibird’s props making it hard to be heard.

“Not in the plans,” Gage yelled back. He took to one knee in front of Shaun, clasping the boy’s hand. “You look after your momma for me, kid. Don’t let her do nothing foolish.”

“You think I could stop her?” Shaun asked, smiling a moment before using his grip on Gage’s hand to pull forward and wrap his arms around Gage’s neck. “Come back soon.”

Gage had tensed up, not seeing the hug coming. He closed his eye and curled his arms around Shaun briefly, squeezing tight before letting go and standing again.

“Alright, enough gooey shit, I gotta reputation to keep...” Gage said, fiddling with the collar of his flight suit. It had felt tight, for some reason. “Garvey. I hate your guts, but you watch Val’s back, you hear?”

Preston smirked and nodded, hanging onto his hat with the wind from the props.

“I always do, Gage. That’s what friends are for!”

“Yeah, yeah...” Gage turned and almost got another word out before Val snatched him by the lapels of his bomber jacket and pressed a searing kiss to his lips. “Damn...”

“Be safe,” Val reminded him. She tucked something into the inside pocket of his jacket before letting him go. The Vertibird pilot watched them with detached apathy, impatient to leave and get back to duty. Gage gave them all a half wave before hauling himself and his dufflebag onto the bird.

Within minutes, they took off. Val held onto Shaun and shielded him from the takeoff force. Preston covered his face and stood in front of them both until the wind subsided as the Vertibird reached height.

Val sighed and pushed back the mess her hair had become, even though she’d tried to tie it back tight. She watched the Vertibird heading off toward the coast, where she knew the Prydwen still floated over Boston Airport like an ominous gray cloud.

“Is Gage gonna be okay?” Shaun asked, squeezing his mother’s hand.

Val shrugged and lifted Shaun up, hoisting him onto her back. “He’s tough, and smart. He’s lasted this long. I think he’ll be fine, kiddo.” As she headed back toward the bridge with Shaun and Preston, Val prayed it would be true. Gage was a survivor.

*****

“Welcome back to the Prydwen, Warden,” greeted an Initiate when Gage got back to his bunk aboard the airship. Gage waved the Initiate off and dropped his dufflebag beside the bed. He put his head in his hands and ignored the other man’s attempts at conversation. The Initiate huffed and wandered off to his duties, leaving Gage alone for all of ten seconds before someone else approached.

“Welcome back, Gage.” A woman sat across from him on someone else’s bunk, strawberry blonde hair tied back neatly instead of hiding under her usual Scribe’s cap – which Gage only noticed because he didn’t ignore this particular Brotherhood member.

Lifting his head, Gage gave Haylen a meek smile. “Hey. How’s shit been around here?”

“Oh, you know. Elder Maxson’s been pushing for more tech recovery, as much documentation as we can gather since the Institute was destroyed. I’m only here because I just got back from a run with Rhys for Proctor Quinlan.” Haylen leaned forward and put her hands on her knees.

“How’s Valkyrie? And your baby?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

Gage sighed and smirked. “Freya’s a handful, but I’m sure Val can handle her while I’m gone. Got her daddy’s eyes, but her mom’s stubbornness.” His laugh turned bitter as he took off his bomber jacket, only then remembering the parcel Val had slipped him.

Removing the envelope, Gage opened it while Haylen moved to sit beside him. He kept it from her view until he realized it wasn’t _too_ personal, even containing a note for the Scribe. With the note were several gray and black pictures, as well as a Holotape, marked ‘Listen when you’re alone’ with a small heart drawn to the side of the label.

_Porter,_

_We’ve both had a hard time telling each other anything in words. We’re people of action. And mushy love letters, I guess. I just wanted you to know that I’m not pissed at you for joining up with the Brotherhood. Hell, you know I’m an ex-Paladin and why._

_I’ll still be here when you get back from duty. The Commonwealth hasn’t stopped me yet. In the meantime, I figured you’d want something from home to remind you of what you’ve got waiting for you. Unfortunately, most film I’ve found is rotten and the only photos I have are my sonograms, but I think I circled the little blob that’s Freya. Knight-Captain Cade might be able to tell you if I’m right. I’ll have to see if I can dig up some preserved film in a Vault and get some proper photos of us._

_In the meantime, tell Haylen to_ stop _reading over your shoulder and visit sometime. Sanctuary welcomes all comers, and I’m sure she’d love to meet the kids. She can leave Rhys at home for all I care. Fuck that guy. If he_ _ **has**_ _to come, he better keep his mouth shut or so help me..._

 

Gage chuckled when Haylen did, reading over Val’s nonstop loathing for Knight Rhys. Gage wasn’t too fond of him either, one asshole to another.

 

_The included Holotape is for your-ears-only, so try to snag a pair of headphones from the Radar techs. I’m sure you can bribe someone if they’re gonna be dicks about security._

_I hope your tour of duty is over soon. I never liked being an army wife._

_I love you._

_Val, Freya, and Shaun_

 

“Aww, that’s so sweet.” Haylen crooned, leaning on Gage’s shoulder. “I’ll have to get leave so I can visit. I’d love to see your daughter. She’s almost two... three months now? Gage?”

Gage turned the holotape over in his hand and stared at it, wondering what Val could have recorded. He remembered finding one labeled “Hi, Honey!” in Val’s storage; Codsworth told him it had been a tape Nate had recorded for her just before the war. The fact that Val recorded a tape just for him made Gage feel a sick sense of foreboding.

“Warden?” Haylen nudged his shoulder with her own. “Hey, wake up, would you? You just left her side a couple hours ago, you can’t be missing her that hard, can you?”

Tucking the tape into his duffle, Gage got to his feet. “Look, Haylen, I don’t mean to be rude, but-”

“But you’re gonna have to ask me to leave? It’s okay. I get it.” Haylen stood up and picked up her scribe’s hat from the other bunk. “Just don’t get distracted, okay? You’re still on probation and if something happens, well... I don’t want to be the one delivering bad news to Valkyrie.”

“Gonna do my best to avoid that, I just...” Gage sighed. “First time I’ve ever been in this kind of position. I don’t have all the cards. I got no control, here. I’m lost.”

Haylen touched Gage’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

A squire approached the two of them, saluting the higher-ranked officers with his fist to his chest and a click of his boots. Seeing the kid reminded Gage of why Val was hesitant on taking down the ship in the first place. Gage saluted back and just barely remembered to tell the kid “at ease” before he spoke.

“Excuse me, Warden, Scribe, but Elder Maxson wanted you to report to him as soon as possible,” the boy reported. “He’ll be on the command deck.”

“Thank you, Squire,” Gage replied, saluting the kid again to dismiss him. So many rules, Gage surprised himself sometimes. But, he had been with gangs who had dumber requirements than formal address.

Getting his feet moving, Gage rolled out his shoulders and made sure his tags were tucked in before heading to the command deck.

 

***** 

 

 _“Hey there, Commonwealth! This here’s Redeye, and you’re listening to a new broadcast: Sanctuary Radio, starring_ me, _Redeye, your new source for news, stories, and song. General Valkyrie personally asked_ me _,_ _ **Redeye**_ _, to work her Radio station here in Sanctuary, which is pretty funny if you ask me, because, once upon a time, I called her The Overboss...”_

Val leaned forward with a dish in hand, a makeshift mush of carrots, tatos and powdered razorgrain, a spoon in hand as she tried to feed Freya the orange-gray paste. Redeye’s voice carried over from the house across the way, where he broadcasted the story of how he and Valkyrie met. It sounded suspiciously a lot like how Redeye became the host of Raider Radio, with only a few minor details changed and a happier ending.

_“So, the Overboss, like, totally turned on us, right? At least, I saw it that way, so I high tailed it outta there. Then, outta nowhere, I run into her and Gage in Diamond City and she’s got kids now! And even though I totally could have taken on the DC guards by myself, she stepped in and was like ‘Whoa, man, you gotta let me bring Redeye back with me. I totally missed his show! It’s way better than that Travis guy’s broadcast...”_

Val rolled her eyes and chuckled, managing to spoon a bite of baby food into Freya’s mouth before she shoved it back out with her little tongue. “He’s gonna give Travis a bigger complex than he already has...” Val muttered.

Codsworth floated by with a stack of dishes, the plates going back onto a shelf Sturges installed to give the kitchen some semblance of normalcy. “I say, Mr. Redeye certainly has a knack for embellishment, doesn’t he? I’m sure Ms. Wright is envious of his flair for fiction, ahaha!”

Val snickered again and scraped baby food off Freya’s chin with the spoon. “She’s offered to write for him, if only to put some truth on the air. He’d figure out how to spin it anyway.”

Codsworth let out a metallic guffaw and tapped an eyestalk with his pincer. “My word, he reminds me of the pre-war journalists! Embellishing the truth until it’s a fairy tale, just because it _sounds_ better...”

“I still want to punch him less than the local news anchor. That guy was a dick,” Val muttered, putting down the bowl and wiping down Freya’s face. The baby fussed and looked ready to throw another fit until Shaun bounded into the house.

“Mom! The ham radio’s going off again! I could barely hear it over Redeye, but I think the Castle’s calling.” Shaun came over to his baby sister and kissed side of her face. “She still giving you trouble with food?”

Val sighed and pushed the bowl into Shaun’s hands. “Yeah, I think she misses Gage, but he’s only been gone a couple of hours. Maybe you’ll have some luck. Remember, don’t force-”

“Don’t force the spoon into her mouth, don’t let her grab it, don’t give up. I know, Mom.” Shaun smiled and sat where Val had been, scooting forward in the seat until he could reach. “C’mon, Freya, open up...”

Val watched Shaun try feeding his sister for a few moments before she went across the street, Codsworth left in charge. Redeye waved at her through the window, leaning back with his microphone in hand, telling some other crazy tall tale.

_“And then, she gets through the Gauntlet, like totally beat to hell, but yanno, smilin’ because she just beat impossible odds, and that’s when they meet. The Overb-- General Valkyrie and Gage, Colter’s assistant.”_

_Assistant?_ Val made a face at him through the window and Redeye ducked out of view.

_“I, uh, I’m not saying it was love at first sight, but there were sparks. Big ones, too. Your old pal Redeye could see’em from he sat, and lemme tell ya, I figured they were gonna hook up right there on the spot.”_

Val entered the main building and knocked on the wall just outside the makeshift broadcast booth, glaring in at him. Redeye stammered for a moment, seguing quickly into playing a holotape of some pre-war music. He took off his headphones and turned in his chair, sweating bullets as Val entered.

“The fuck are you telling people?” she demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Redeye grinned, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple despite the desk fan nearby. “I, uh... well...” he rubbed the back of his head and tilted his chair back. “New piece. Figure no one wants to hear Raider legends here, so I’m tellin’ uh--” Flicking his gaze to a stack of papers, Val lunged for them at the same time he did, but she managed to come off with a top sheet.

Reading the title page, Valkyrie felt her face heat up and her eyes went wide. _“The Ballad of Valkyrie and Gage?!”_ she barked, making Redeye jump in his seat. “What the fuck, Russell?”

“It’s not ‘Russell!’ And I wrote it. Well, you know, what I can remember. It’s your story! People hear that you’re married to a Raider, they might think you turned on’em. Tell’em that **he** fell for **you** like the shit ton of bricks he _did,_ people will think you got powers. I think you do!”

“Gage and I aren’t married, Red, for one thing, for another – Colter’s _assistant_?”

“Already implied I was Colter’s right-hand guy. You can’t have _two_ right hand guys. That’s too many. And you two are, like, committed. That’s ‘married’ by Raider standards!”

Valkyrie gave him back his cover sheet and pinched the bridge of her nose. “ _Why_ are you telling people about how Gage and I met? If I don’t kill you, he might. How we met and what you’re saying is all wrong-”

“Is it? He put his faith in you and you delivered, but something else sure as fuck happened out there, and people are gonna want to know. You want me to stop, fine. I’ll just play some shitty little holotapes and be a good boy. That what you want, Boss?”

Rubbing her eyes, Val sighed. “Just... let me know what you’re embellishing. If I end up some damsel in distress-”

“Nah, never!” He waved off her glower and continued. “You’re pretty badass, even if you totally fucked over like a hundred Raiders.”

“But you’re not bitter about that at all, are you?” asked Val, leaning into his space. “Because, if you are...”

Redeye leaned back until his chair threatened to tip over. “Hey, man, we’re cool! You got me a place to stay, food to eat – Hell, you gave me a damned job! I’m just trying to pay you back with your story. I can cool it if you want...”

Taking a deep breath, Val gave Redeye his space again. She rubbed at her temples as she turned away. “Yeah, just don’t get too crazy with the details, alright? Our life should be private...”

“Can do, boss.”

Turning away from Redeye’s booth, Val crossed to the little nook she used as her “office” in Sanctuary. It had a desk and a filing cabinet for maps and tapes and order receipts, but the most important part was that she kept her long range ham in there and could keep contact with the Castle from home.

Scooping up the mic, Val clicked it a few times before issuing the call sign.

“General to the Castle, over.”

 _“There you are. Thought I was going to have to send troops over there to get you,”_ replied Ronnie.

“Shaw, what a nice surprise,” Val said, glad that Ronnie couldn’t see her face. “What’s up?”

_“General, I’ve received word that there’s been an attack on Somerville Place. No one’s injured, but it seems somebody’s taken the place hostage. Please, advise.”_

Val groaned and shook her head. “Have they issued demands?”

The radio crackled with static and Val suspected a radstorm from the coast might be affecting their transmission, until she heard Ronnie faintly talking in the background. _“I don’t think we should send her, it’s still reeks of a trap to me,”_ Ronnie said, until returning to the mic. _“There’s a lone Raider, and he’s demanding to talk to you, General. Want us to send reinforcements to take him out? Your baby’s gotta be priority...”_

Val frowned. The Somerville settlement was right at the edge of safe ground for most humans. A Raider trying to take it alone _did_ seem like a setup. But, it was an incredibly stupid one, tactically.

“Shaw, send out theBird. I’ll take Danse and we’ll head down there in heavy metal. If it is a hostage situation, I don’t want those kids getting hurt if the guy thinks he should kamikaze down there.” Val clicked off and waited for Ronnie’s reply.

_“Yes, ma’am. I’ll have the Vertibird sent your way ASAP. Shaw out.”_

 

*****

 

Gage stood ‘at ease’ for almost a solid minute, staring at the back of the elder’s coat before Maxson began to speak. Patience had been a virtue when dealing with Colter, but Maxson was much harder to predict. Working for a smart bastard sucked worse than sticking with a big dumb moron, and Maxson seemed to revel in testing Gage.

“Welcome back, Warden. I take it your family is well?”

“Cut the crap, Elder. What’s my assignment?” Gage snapped.

As he expected, Maxson turned on his heels, slowly approaching Gage and looking slightly up at him. Bags hung under Maxson’s eyes and his breathing looked labored. Chancing a look, Gage spied the bottles to his left and the small puddle of alcohol left in a nearby glass. When Maxson spoke, Gage could smell whiskey on his breath.

“I want a report on Sanctuary. What’s the security like? How many people does she have working for her? Does that Super Mutant-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” Gage growled, dropping the military pretense and pushing Maxson back with a hand on his chest. “You think I’m gonna just up and spill-”

“That’s an order-”

“I ain’t your soldier!”

“Then what are you!?” Maxson yelled. He grabbed Gage by the ring of his flight suit and jerked him downward. Gage tried to pry his hand free but failed, leaving him clutching at Maxson’s wrist. “You’re not a Raider anymore, not a Minuteman if I can help it – if you’re not a soldier, **what** _are_ you?”

Instead of a verbal response, Gage pulled his arm up, elbow out, and clipped Maxson’s jaw. A snap of teeth and a grunt of pain had Maxson reeling back for a moment before he found his footing again and charged. Catching Gage in his midsection, they both went down in a heap, Gage cracking his head on the metal floor with Maxson sprawled on top of him.

Straddling Gage’s waist, Maxson grabbed Gage by the collar and slugged him once, twice, before Gage caught his hand on the third strike and wrenched his arm away. Pulling Maxson down with the open opportunity, Gage threw his free hand up into Maxson’s jaw, knocking him off.

In the squabble, the guards posted in the hall came in first, easily scooping both Gage and Maxson off the floor with the aid from their Power Armor. Drawn by the noise, Lancer-Captain Kells came running up to the command deck behind them.

“What is the meaning of this, Elder?”

Maxson shrugged off the Knight holding him and pushed away, removing his bloodied coat and throwing it onto the nearby couch. “He is withholding information vital to-”

“You beat the shit out of me for not snitching on Val!” Gage yelled, the sound of his own voice making the room spin.

Kells stepped between them and put a hand out when Maxson started for him again, holding him back.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. Both of you should report at once to Knight-Captain Cade for examination,” Kells said, though he put himself bodily between Maxson and Gage, his eyes on the Elder.

Maxson immediately began to protest. “I don’t need to see Cade-”

Kells cut him off. “Sir, do not make me ask again. Your behavior as of late has been rather unbecoming of any Brotherhood member, but to attack a civilian soldier just because of your vendetta-”

“Don’t lecture me, Kells!”

Gage leaned on the Knight holding him, still trying to regain his footing. “I think... think I’ll see-”

Gage’s last words were lost as he passed out.

 

*****

 

“What do you think the target wants?” Danse asked, his voice cracked by their suit radios. They marched up the side of the hill below Somerville place, clunking and scraping and losing any element of surprise.

“I don’t know. Asking for me is a little weird, but maybe it’s someone who wants to join up?” Val suggested.

Danse stopped beside Val and looked back at her. Even though he was covered by the bug-eyed helm of his X01 armor, Val knew what face he was making at her: brows knitted together, mouth drawn into a tight frown.

“Whenever you look at me like that, I feel like you’ve just dad-ed me, Danse.”

“You can’t even see my face. How do you know what look I’m giving you?”

Val gestured at him with an open hand. “It’s the way you stand. Even in armor, you look disappointed.”

“What about the Dad thing?”

“I didn’t know my dad. Why?”

Danse shook his head and turned away. “You constantly remind me while I’ll never _get_ you, Val,” he said, chuckling over the comm.

Val jogged after him, no easy feat in full power armor. “Wait, what did I say?”

Before Valkyrie would get her answer, they crested the hill, where Somerville Place sat. The house, repaired and well defended, looked quiet. Val shook her head and pulled Mjolnir, her favorite rifle, off her shoulder. The power armor’s HUD helped to align her sight on the house, but she couldn’t see through the windows.

“Whoever’s in there, I can’t get a bead on them. They walled off view points.”

“What’s the play, then?”

Opening her power armor, Val hopped out and crouched low. “You cover me, I’ll get closer,” she said, hunched near the legs of her armor. “I’ll see if I can find this guy.” She put her rifle on her back again and tightened the strap around her torso.

“What if he hurts the settlers?”

“Then he’s not going to make it out of here alive, is he?” Val said, slipping ahead into the dark. She ducked behind the abandoned car and made a circle around the side of the house. Gesturing to Danse, she motioned for him to call out to the Raider inside.

Danse nodded, taking a step closer before switching his comm to an external speaker. “Attention, inside! We are here on behalf of the Commonwealth Minutemen! Do yourself a favor and drop your weapons, leave the hostages, and everyone walks away alive!”

A man’s voice came from behind the barricade. “Are you the General?”

Hesitating, Danse nodded when Val gestured for him to reply. “Yes. Yes I am.”

“Where’s Porter Gage?”

Val stopped short of pushing in part of the barricade to slip in. _What does he want with Gage?_

“Porter Gage is a Warden of the Brotherhood of Steel. He’s on the Prydwen.”

“Fuck! FUCK! Shitshitshitshit-NO! He’s supposed to be with the Minutemen! I thought he was with you!” Val heard the Raider say. He started to slam his fist against the wall he stood near, and the noise gave her enough cover to slide over one of the tables propped by a window. From behind, all Val could make out of the Raider was his ratty leather armor and one of those sack hoods some of them were fond of.

Gesturing to the kids, Val managed to get them outside and headed toward the back of the house. Just as she motioned toward the father, the Raider ripped off his hood to throw it down, and caught her half in the window. He pulled his pipe gun on her and the father, though his hands were shaking.

“What the fuck?! Who the fuck are you?” he demanded.

Val stared at the young man pointing the gun at her, her mouth slack. He pressed the gun to her forehead and shouted again. He had dark brown hair shaved into a Mohawk, which laid against his skull with sweat. Hazel green eyes, too familiar in their shape, stared at her in anger.

“I’m gonna splatter your brains, bitch!” he shouted. His voice wasn’t nearly as gravelly, but there was a slight twang to it that was unmistakable.

“How do you know Gage?” Val murmured.

The gun was pulled away from her face and the Raider turned away, pressing his fists against his head. He looked almost relieved, but he was still keyed up and jittery.

“Fuck- I mean- I’m looking for him,” the young man replied.

Val squeezed inside and stood between the Raider and the settler. “Hey, so how about you put your gun down and we can talk.”

“I-no, no I can’t... did you see that dude out there in the armor? The General? He’s probably gonna kill me, as soon as I go out there...” The Raider dropped to his knees. “I thought Porter Gage was in the Minutemen...”

Approaching slowly, Val knelt in front of the young man. “He’s involved with their General, that’s for sure.”

“With that asshole in the armor? Great...”

Val chuckled and shook her head. “Actually, I’m the General. That ‘asshole in the armor’ is one of my friends. He’s name is Danse.”

Raising his gun, the Raider started to point it at her, then dropped his arm. “He was distracting me. Shit.” Running a hand over his face, the young man dropped his head down. “Fuck.”

Val inched forward. Anxiety pooled in her stomach as she put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. You had me afraid that I was walking into a trap.” He glanced at her and frowned, and Val felt queasy. “You’re looking for Gage.” She didn’t think she needed to ask why again, now that she got a good look at the young man beside her. Val guessed he couldn’t have been past twenty five, if he was that old. Skinny from malnutrition, filthy, the bent look to his nose... even the stubble on his jaw was the same...

“Yeah, um... he’s kind of... my dad.”


	2. Perception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gage wakes up on the Prydwen, has a discussion with Cade. MacCready is a babysitter when Mason comes to visit. Val brings home the new guy. Drama!

_“...So she takes down these ferals, right? And then Kiddie Kingdom’s left open and she gives it to Mason and his crew, the Pack. The Pack, y’all might remember, is now helping out the Commonwealth as new muscle for the caravans. Guard dogs, you might say. Anyway, though Val’s got him on the ropes, there’s still one ghoul in the park with half a brain, and she lets him live. Come to find out, he’s looking for a ‘cure’ for his condition. Well, I say, good luck, you living nightlight! Stay green, I guess. Hey, so, after the music break, I’m gonna come back and give you good folks the next chapter in: The Ballad of Val and Gage! Stay tuned!”_

Music cut in, a copy of some pre-war record Gage hardly recognized, as he opened his eyes. The throbbing in his head was bad, made worse by the knowledge that somewhere, Redeye was telling his private life to the whole of the Commonwealth, and Val hadn’t killed him yet. Blinking his good eye a few times, Gage turned his head to see Knight-Captain Cade’s back as he typed away at his terminal.

Spotting no IV drip or feeling any restraints, Gage sat up with a groan. Cade turned to him and nodded.

“Good to see you up, Warden. How do you feel?”

Gage rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye. “I feel like I’ve been attacked by a short alcoholic with anger management issues, but that’s happened to me more times than should be normal.”

“Well, your sarcasm survived the encounter intact. I suspect that means you’ll make a full recovery. You’ve suffered a mild concussion, followed by a blackout. As for the Elder’s actions, well. I can say I’ve advised him to take it easy, but...” Cade gestured vaguely in Gage’s direction. “I see he doesn’t listen.”

“Apparently.” Gage found his patch on a nearby stand and slipped it on with a wince, the strap irritating his bruise. “What the fuck is on the radio?”

Cade had already turned back to his terminal to continue typing. “I believe that’s the new Sanctuary Radio station. The ‘Ballad of Val and Gage’ segment is already popular here. Did she really run that death maze alone?”

“Not exactly, but you may not hear the ending when I murder that deejay,” Gage grunted as he slid to his feet. “Redeye’s not known for telling the whole truth, only what sounds good.”

“Hold on, Warden, lemme take a look at you,” Cade said, crossing the floor with a light in hand. “Look at me.” Shining the light in Gage’s face, he ran through the tests to ensure Gage’s eyesight was satisfactory. “You know, we could find a way to fit you with a corrective lens… you are getting older…” Cade took a cautionary step back at the glare received from Gage.

“I’m not wearing a monocle. Eyepatch is hard enough to keep track of,” Gage snapped. “If I’m clear to go, I’m going. If you’re gonna dismiss me on my eyesight, then I’m sure Val’s gonna be glad to hear it.”

Cade frowned and shook his head. “You think the Brotherhood would just toss you for a minor disability? You __have__  met Proctor Ingram, right? A little vision problem isn’t going to get you drummed out. I was just recommend-”

Raising his voice, Gage took that extra step forward, into Cade’s space. “I don’t need a reminder that I’m past my expiration date, doc. Now-”

“Gage, I wish you’d stop arguing with me. For what it’s worth, aside from the smoking, you’re fairly healthy for an ex-Raider. Could it be better? Of course. Are we going to dismiss you easily? Probably not as soon as you’d like. But, you came to us. You were looking for something. Why are you __here__ , Warden? Why did you return to the Brotherhood? I don’t care about the Elder’s petty squabble with your girlfriend. But I do care about the health and well-being of my brothers.”

Gage straightened up and rolled out his shoulders. “Do I have a clean bill, doc? Can I get back to duty?”

Cade sighed and grabbed a clipboard, writing out something on a sheet. Tearing it off, he handed it to Gage. “Take this to Teagan. He should have the chems you need. It’s for a low-dose of Med-X, to help with any headaches you might get.”

Taking the slip of paper, Gage left the med ward. Passing a trash can, he crumpled up the prescription and chucked it in, not even looking back to do so. He approached Teagan’s window without bothering to salute, looking for his next assignment.

“Eager to get into the field already?” Teagan asked, sliding over a bill of goods Gage was to acquire.

“Eager to get my time here done with,” Gage clipped, reading over the list. “Who is on task with me?”

Leaning his elbows on the counter before him, Teagan smiled, the uncomfortable way one does when they’re hiding something, waiting for someone to ask them what they know. Gage gestured for Teagan to get on with it.

“New Warden. She’ll just need you to show her the ropes so we can keep supplies flowing while you’re on leave again. Plus, you won’t have to be saddled with OT. Won’t that be nice?” Teagan said, not dropping the grin. “Not to mention she’s smart, good with a gun-”

“Does she have a name?” Gage interrupted.

Teagan cleared his throat and flicked his eyes over Gage’s shoulder. Gage slowly turned, exhaling slowly.

“Right behind m-”

Mags Black, her hair drawn tight in a bun at the back of her head, a burn scar marring her mouth and a crutch on her left arm, sneered at him. “Hello, Gage. Long time no see.”

 

******

“Hey there, pup. Where’s your mom?” Mason leaned into the glassless window of Valkyrie’s home, where Shaun sat on the floor, playing bottlecap checkers with MacCready’s son, Duncan.

Shaun smiled and looked up after he took two of Duncan’s caps and one of his kings, putting the stack of caps on his side of the board.

“She and Pala- __Mr__. Danse went to Somerville Place. A call came in from the Castle,” Shaun said, watching from the corner of his eye while Duncan thought over his next move.

Mason frowned and vaulted through the window to sit on the couch just below it, watching the boys play. “Ain’t she got nobody watching you?” he asked, just as MacCready returned from the children’s room with Freya on his shoulder.

Scoffing, MacCready put the little girl in her high chair. “Don’t you know how to use a door? Dogmeat’s better trained than you.”

Grinning across the room, Mason shook his head. “You think I’ve been domesticated, Bobby-boy?”

“Don’t call me that,” MacCready groaned, fumbling with a bib around Freya’s neck. “C’mon, little girl, cooperate for your old uncle RJ.”

“Old? You’re like, twelve.”

MacCready jumped, hearing Mason over his shoulder, sudden and silent for a man of his bulk. Pushing on Mason’s chest, MacCready huffed when the Pack Alpha just stood there, barely moved by MacCready’s attempt at personal space.

“Isn’t there a brahmin you can hump instead of breathing down my neck?” he snapped, glaring up at Mason.

Snorting, Mason backed up and took a stool by Val’s counter, perching on the seat like a gargoyle instead of sitting. MacCready rolled his eyes and continued with preparing Freya’s lunch with the food Codsworth blended up for her.

“Little too much energy? Maybe Val should have you fixed,” MacCready snorted, taking a seat near Freya. “Really, are you going to watch me babysit?” MacCready asked, feeling Mason’s eyes on the back of his head while he tried to feed the baby. Freya fussed and leaned back, pushing the spoon away from her mouth.

Mason scoffed. “Ain’t she a little young for that? Val shouldn’t have gone back to her general job so quick. Her cub’s not ready to be separated for so long.”

“And just what do __you__  know about-” MacCready turned around, ready to make Mason feed Freya if he thought he could do better, but stopped.

Mason stared at Freya, or more the space she occupied. His smug expression had fallen pensive, eyes shifting slightly with Freya’s movements. MacCready waved a hand in front of Mason; a few beats passed before Mason came back to present, scowling in MacCready’s direction.

“Losing family is hard,” MacCready said, his voice softer.

At the understanding tone, Mason snarled and dropped to his feet on the floor, standing at his full height. “Fuck off.”

“Watch your mouth,” MacCready replied, with no real heat to his voice. He turned back to his task, stirring the mashed carrots before making another attempt at feeding Freya. Behind him, Mason stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

After a moment of the house returning to a calm quiet, Codsworth floated in from the side yard, fresh vegetables cut from Val’s small garden laid in a wicker basket.

“Was that Mr. Mason? He’s a curious sort, isn’t he?”

MacCready licked his lips, contemplating his answer. “Yeah… curious.”

 

Down the road, Mason stalked past Marcy Long, just putting a hand in her face as she went to make a snide remark about him. Some bullshit joke about him being a rabid animal - he’d heard them all, claimed them all for himself.

Since taking up residence in the Commonwealth, Val had tried to give the Pack a place. Even in Sanctuary, she had spearheaded a project: revamping another old house for the Pack to crash in, aside from the bunks where caravan guards and traders camped. Even helped Mason to bring his throne all the way from the Ampitheatre.

Now, standing in the door, Mason stared at the piecemeal decor, ignoring Tweez’s peppy “Hey, boss!” from the sofa. The brahmin head couch, the gorilla armchairs, the stacks of booze and chems Val had provided for his gang. For their comfort. To domesticate them.

Turning away from the common area, Mason stalked into his room, looked at everything provided for him, the comfort objects, his trophies, his sledge. Grabbing the sledge, Mason kicked over the throne before storming out again. Passing the coffee table, Mason brought the hammer around in a golf swing, flipping it over in a single stroke. The table cracked in half as Tweez and another Pack member scrambled out of the way of shrapnel.

“What the fuck, boss? We wrecking this place?” Tweez said, looking back and forth from Mason to his compatriot. Both of them were perched to move out of Mason’s path, but their Alpha left without saying anything. Outside, he picked up one of the patio chairs and slammed it into the other, leaving the pair in a twisted metal wreck.

The noise brought other Sanctuary members running outside, weapons drawn. At first, they pointed to the perimeter, looking to the turret system to see where the attack was coming from. The turrets chugged quietly, not drawn to Mason’s tantrum.

After the chairs, Mason brought his sledge down on the table beside them, turning a flat surface into a metal crater. Pulling the hammer free, Mason let the momentum carry him until the sledge embedded into the sound of the house, crumpling the aluminum siding and catching the weapon.

Breathing heavy, Mason didn’t hear the cocking of guns or the slow approach of residents, who had kept their distance. He tugged at his weapon as his adrenaline plummeted, losing it in the broken wall as his grip weakened. Stumbling backwards, Mason started to turn. Seeing himself surrounded, a hollow laugh erupted from his throat.

“FUCKING DO IT!” Mason shouted, holding his arms out wide. “Big fucking target, right here! Fifty caps to whoever lands the killing blow!” he taunted.

Sturges held up Val’s syringer, aiming it toward Mason’s thigh. “The hell’s the matter with you? You snapped?”

“Wait! Wait!” MacCready threw himself in front of Mason, imitating his stance but hardly covering Mason’s bulk. “Holy crap, put your guns DOWN!”

“Look at this! Little fucker’s come to save my sorry ass!” Mason started laughing, doubling over until his head touched MacCready’s shoulder, smearing it with blue.

“Jesus Christ, Mason, pull it together. The hell’s the matter with you?!” MacCready asked, not turning to keep Mason covered.

“Better watch that fuckin’ mouth of yours, RJ. Don’t want nobody to think you’re a bad boy,” Mason choked out. His hands were on MacCready’s waist, with his forehead pressed into MacCready’s shoulder. “Don’t… don’t want your brat to think you’d save a filthy fuckin’ Raider,” he wheezed. His breath wanted to come out in sobs, in angry gasps and screams, but his energy had left him.

“Mason…” MacCready’s quiet voice was too soft, too __weak__. Mason wasn’t weak. He didn’t need MacCready’s pity, and grumbled as much. Over his muttering, Mason heard Sturges order everyone to back off, and the sympathetic tone had infected his voice, too. Even that bitch, Long seemed to feel sorry for him.

“Fuck you all,” Mason hissed. His fingers dug into MacCready’s waist, even as MacCready tried to pry them off.

“Show’s over, Mason. C’mon…” MacCready pulled Mason’s hands free, and as he did, Mason’s fingers tingled with [ins and needles. “At least buy me a drink if you’re gonna start leaving bruises, big guy.”

Mason couldn’t tell if he said “fuck you” again or just thought it really hard. He stepped back from MacCready and rubbed at his face, smearing blue and red into his hair. His legs buckled, and Mason felt hard on his ass. Rubbing the heels of his palms in his eyes, Mason reigned in his breathing, even as pools started to form behind his hands. Dropping his arms, Mason flinched at the sting of paint in his eyes, rinsed off by angry tears and making his vision blurry. Even so, he could see, could fucking smell MacCready right there in front of him, crouched like a little ball of skin and bones and too much pity.

“Don’t. Just, fuckin’ don’t,” Mason growled, feeling his face heat up.

“It was ferals,” MacCready said. “They got Lucy while we-”

“I fuckin’ said ‘don’t.’ Do you have a hearing problem?” Mason snapped. He swatted away that stupid scrawny hand RJ offered him, getting to his trembling legs himself.

Standing up with him, MacCready brushed off his knees. “Well, it’s been zero days since our last dramatic outburst. I’m sure Sturges can fix the wall, but-hmphff!” MacCready clawed at his neck, where Mason had seized him by his throat. Panic welled up in the instant Mason yanked him closer, cutting to dazed confusion the moment Mason kissed him. It was rough, dry, and tasted like those shitty cigars he smoked, and especially awkward with Mason’s tongue dominating MacCready’s mouth.

Dropping MacCready, Mason’s glare bored into him. MacCready swallowed and stared back, squaring off his shoulders. He tensed when Mason clamped a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small jostle, then turned away to retreat into the Pack house.

Releasing his held breath, MacCready covered his mouth, pulling his hand downward. Just as he turned to retreat himself, MacCready spied Val, Danse and some third guy behind them all watching him. How he had missed two people in full power armor approaching escaped MacCready’s thoughts the instant Val opened her mouth.

“That was dramatic.” Val pulled off her helmet, loose hairs sticking to her face. “You got a little…” she trailed, gesturing to her mouth.

Frowning, MacCready scrubbed his face into the crook of his arm, trying to wipe away the invasion of blue greasepaint.

“You always miss the fun stuff. By the way, your kid’s not eating. I think you started up again too early…” MacCready said, scooping his hat off the ground and placing it back on his head.

“Fine, fine, I’ll feed her.” Her power armor opened with a hiss, as she stepped out. "Hey, Sturges… You wanna help my new friend here get settled?”

“Before or after you want me to chauffeur away your power armor?” Sturges chuckled. Other settlers lingered behind, some slowly holstering their guns. Others eyes the Raider following Val like a lost puppy. He certainly looked skittish.

“Surprise me.” Val turned to the man behind her, gesturing to MacCready and Sturges. “Guys, this is Kid.”

“Kid?” MacCready said, raising an eyebrow.

The young man - Kid - shuffled into view. MacCready sucked in a breath; mohawk, nose, eyes… if he were more well-fed, he would have been the spitting image of Porter Gage.

“-so my mom didn’t think I was gonna live that long, so she didn’t want to name me and ‘get attached.’ I’ve just been ‘Kid’ ever since,” he was saying, and even his voice sounded similar, if not as roughened by age and smoke as Gage.

“I, um… I’m MacCready, or RJ. Nice to meet you… Kid.” Looking to Val, MacCready shook his head. “So, now you’ve got like, three kids. Not counting Deacon.”

Val punched MacCready in the arm and chuckled. “Hey, he’s old enough to change his own diapers, Mac. Shit.” Val turned and grabbed Kid by the wrist. “You wanna meet your sister?”

MacCready watched Val tug away the young Raider toward her house, brushing off Sturges’ squawk of protest as she nearly bowled him over. Giving a nod to Danse, MacCready turned and looked at the Pack house. Somewhere inside, Mason was brooding. MacCready could see Tweez and the other Raider tiptoeing around, avoiding making noises.

Touching his lips one more time, MacCready grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets, putting his back to the Raider house and walking away.

 

“See, what convinces me of your story, is you both have your father’s eyes,” Val was saying, holding Freya out to Kid as MacCready rejoined Val and the boys at her house. In a fluid series of motions, Val had started feeding Freya, with the baby putting up no fuss now that her mother was home. Kid turned away and coughed, his face a deep ruddy color.

“Okay, yeah… uh… what are you gonna do with me? You’re just gonna let me stay here?” Kid asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Val scoffed and freed a hand to punch his shoulder. “Of course, if you’re not gonna be a shithead about it. Besides, I’d be remiss to not take care of Gage’s boy. But, if you’d rather head back out on your own, I can offer you supplies to get where you’re going, if you wanna head right to the Prydwen and confront him in person.” Withdrawing from him a step, Val gave Kid a once over. “That is… if you don’t mean to kill him.”

“No! No!” Kid raised his hands and jumped back, alarmed. “I just wanna meet Gage. Mom told me some stuff about him, but she swore he was dead-”

MacCready exchanged a look with Val and stepped closer to her so Kid would see they weren’t alone here. “Why would she think that?”

Kid faltered, looking down at MacCready as if surprised he would join in. “Uh, well… Mom was with his old crew. The Harvester.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Val swore, taking a few steps back toward the kitchen.

Kid frowned. “You’ve heard of him?”

MacCready looked to Val, side stepping to put himself in Kid’s path. “Who is the Harvester?”

Val leaned against the counter and adjusted Freya in her arms. “He’s Gage’s old boss. From, like, ages ago. Tried to get Gage killed because Gage was smarter than him.” She settled one hand on the counter, and it slowly crept toward the old breadbox - MacCready flicked his gaze to meet Val’s and stepped aside again.

Pulling Deliverer out of the breadbox, Val pointed the gun at Kid. Kid yelped and shrunk to the floor, folding down as small as possible.

“Holy shit, don’t kill me!” Kid begged, covering his head.

“What do you want with Gage?” Val demanded, taking a step forward. “Why come here, now?”

Kid balled himself up tighter and trembled. For a Raider, he struck MacCready as rather cowardly, but he had to have seen all the protection around the settlement. Kid was outnumbered. Still…

MacCready crouched beside Kid, putting a hand on his shoulder. Kid whimpered and flinched at the contact. “Just tell us,” he tried. He’d seen Val do this a number of times - he hoped he came off as endearing as she did.

“I wanted to see him. Mom said he should have died because The Harvester was tough and he left no survivors. I used to be in his crew because Mom was his woman, but Mom found Atom and ditched us both. The Harvester didn’t see me as useful and threw me out.” Kid sniffled and buried his face in his knees. “Said I wasn’t nothin’ like Porter, just a useless meatbag. I got no one.”

“Goddammit.” Val pulled her gun back and put it away. Freeing up her daughter, Val passed Freya over to MacCready, and the baby promptly slapped him in the chin. She wiped at her eyes and knelt at Kid’s side. Gently placing a hand on his back, Val sighed when he twitched again at the contact.

“I’m sorry I pulled a weapon on you. I just-”

Kid peeked up from the safety of his limbs and looked at Val with a bloodshot eye. “You gotta protect your own. Gage is yours. I’m not.”

“That’s a real __Raider__ way of looking at it, but… yeah.” Val rubbed circles into Kid’s back. “I got a policy - if you can pitch in around here, you can stay. You any good with a gun?”

Kid sniffed and lifted his head, resting his chin on his folded arms. “Not really. I don’t even have any more bullets. I just kinda waved my gun around and those folks… I’m really sorry about that.”

Val chuckled. “Well, you’re good at bullshit, I guess. Tell you what. You get cleaned up - I think I can scrounge something kinda clean for you to wear, and we’ll see where you can help out.”

Looking stunned, Kid’s mouth hung open at Val’s offer. “Really? You’d let me stick around, just like that?”

Smiling, Val got to her feet, offering Kid a hand up. “Yeah, really. Start you off with some dayside guard shifts, or maybe let Marcy Long have you dig up weeds in the garden. If you can deal with Marcy, you can deal with anything else we could throw at you.”

Kid smiled a little, dropping his head down. “That’s really nice of yo-”

MacCready snorted and cut in, passing Freya back to Val. “Not really. Marcy hates Raiders and really dislikes Gage. You’re in for some hell.”

“Unless she’s bigger than me, she can’t be worse than the Harvester,” Kid said.

Val let out a laugh and clapped a hand on Kid’s arm. “You say that now. Give it a week. Hell, if you make it to the end of tomorrow without running for the hills, I’ll consider that a success.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writer's block sucks but at least Val held someone at gunpoint while breastfeeding. And if you think a woman can't put a kid on her boob in a few deft movements - I've seen it done. At my job. It's not unreasonable.
> 
> Mason, on the other hand... "Fuckin' Raiders."


	3. Endurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gage gets sent off on a mission with Mags Black; Val and Kid are left at Sanctuary.

“For the love of _Atom_ , Gage, I don’t give a shit about you and your wife. I didn’t even know you were with the Brotherhood until I got there.”

Gage glared across the vertibird to Mags, where she was strapped into the seat beside him. He had lamented her presence in the Brotherhood, and furthermore, what she planned to do with her station. Teagan had looked delighted at the distress that appeared on Gage’s face; Gage made a mental note to do something about his habit of stirring drama because Quartermastery was boring.

“Remind me again why _you’re_ here?” Gage shouted over the vertibird engines. He didn’t know why he was on this new mission, taking him from the Commonwealth, with the lot of them bundled for cold weather.

“Because they have gear, resources, and a medic whose expertise doesn’t just surround chems,” Mags said. As if to illustrate her point, she stretched out her leg, massaging the knee.

“You’re in it for the free Med-X.”

Mags’ scarred lip twisted into a sneer. “Not as if I have the means to buy it on my own. Lizzie can only manufacture so much.”

Gage wanted to feel sorry for Mags. Her left leg was badly damaged during her escape from Nuka World, a permanent reminder that William had been shot while holding a Molotov, burning him quickly and subsequently, half the Parlor when the Minutemen overwhelmed the place. He wanted to feel bad that she lost most of her gang to Val, by bullet, by convincing, or by straight up cowardice. He _wanted_ to feel anything but contempt and suspicion for Mags still being alive, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“You could have been taken care of,” Gage suggested, sitting back in his seat. He closed his eyes, hoping the conversation would end there.

“I would have given up everything that we worked for, just to play lapdog to Valkyrie.” Mags snapped. “I have to say, she is the best Raider I’ve ever seen.”

Opening his eyes again, Gage looked over at Mags with an eyebrow raised. “The hell do you mean?”

Mags smirked, a glimmer of her old self evident in her eyes. “She swept in, looking for all the world like a wide-eyed Vault Dweller who happened to be good with a gun. Word of her accomplishments did start to leak in as Shank let us in on the rumors and stories - you knew who she was when she arrived, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah, everyone’d heard-”

“You _knew_ . She was something else, some **one** else. You knew she led the Minutemen, so why did you think she would help us? What did you see?” Mags’ smile had dropped, and she turned as much as her seat’s safety harness would allow.

Gage frowned, rubbing his hand over his mouth. He remembered thinking he could manipulate her based on her reputation; Valkyrie had been known for taking heads but also extending her hand. What he couldn’t remember was why he didn’t put a bullet in her from the get-go, or push her to utilize the Gauntlet again. Let someone else, someone more ruthless, take the job and Val’s life.

“I think you fell for her the moment you laid eyes on her,” Mags said, reaching across the vertibird to prod his leg with her crutch. “Your salvation.”

“Hey.” The Knight escort with them swatted Mags’ cane back to her side of the bird. “Elder Maxson trusted you two to work together. Don’t instigate. We’ll be landing outside of Far Harbor within the hour.”

Gage closed his eyes again and leaned back. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he’d heard it before the briefing. Mags being back, and his orders to work with her had thrown his already upturned life sideways.

He just wanted to be back in Sanctuary, with Val, and the rest of his family. He’d take that damn Super Mutant over the frigid air radiating from Mags Black beside him. This first week back had been obnoxious; leaving the Commonwealth was straight up vindictiveness on Maxson’s part, he was convinced.

The mists surrounding Far Harbor stung Gage’s skin and chilled him to the core. The Knights walking ahead of him and Mags swept their headlamps through the fog, identifying and chasing off shadows.

Gage pulled his bomber jacket tighter around himself, feeling uncomfortable with the looming trees surrounding them. He had never seen a forest so full or dense, and as much as it awed him, the quiet trees left him feeling claustrophobic. Beside Gage, Mags jabbed a shot of Med-X into her thigh with a hiss of pain.

“This cold is going to be hell,” she grumbled, and Gage was inclined to agree with her. “Remind me what we’re doing here.”

“Scribe Neriah’s little zoo. The animals here live in the irradiated fog all the time, and her experiments require more samples,” said the Knight-Lancer stomping between the pair of them. “Also, word has it there’s a hidden tech cache somewhere up here, and we’re to collect.”

“That’s what _you’re_ doing here. What are _we_ doing here?” Mags asked, marching behind the Lancer. “We’re Wardens, not Scribes.”

“Elder’s orders, Ma’am.”

Mags sneered again and removed her short-barrel from the holster on her good leg, cocking the shotgun and tucking it against her side.

“This guide we’re supposed to be meeting… can we trust him?” Gage asked, turning his attention from Mags.

“Have to. He’s the only one from the town who knows the woods,” replied the other Knight, taking point toward the front.

Old Longfellow was as ornery as he was drunk, but Gage ended up impressed by his ability to fight. A somewhat functional alcoholic, for an old man, Longfellow had come in the clinch when the team had been assaulted by a massive beast Longfellow called a “Fog Crawler.”

As if the Mirelurks hadn’t been bad enough, and Nukalurks even worse, now they faced giant crustaceans that popped out of the mist. How they had managed to miss the damn thing still had Gage baffled.

Standing outside of Longfellow’s cabin with a cigarette, Gage pulled his jacket tighter to ward away the chill dampness. The fog condensers nearby kept the radiation down, but the cold hung on like a thick blanket. The glow of lamplight and his cigarette were all the company he kept until Mags stomped his way.

“Thought the cold bothered your leg,” Gage said in lieu of a greeting.

“The old man snores like a Deathclaw gargling rocks.” Mags pulled out her own cigarette and held it out toward Gage. “Would you mind?”

“Normally, yeah.” He still flicked open his lighter and lit her cig, watching the orange glow overtake Mags’ face for a moment.

Blowing out a line of smoke into the night air, Mags leaned against Longfellow’s house.

“You never answered my question.”

Gage turned his head and looked out toward the open ocean. It loomed more ominously than the dense forests. At least on land, he could see an enemy coming and fight back-

“Stop ignoring me.”

“I forgot the question,” Gage sighed. He put out his cigarette on the ground and hugged his arms across his chest.

“I know you didn’t. You just don’t want to answer.” Mags blew another line of smoke to one side and stepped into Gage’s space. “What did you see in her?”

“You wanna know what I saw? Opportunity. I thought Val would change things, I just didn’t know _how_.”

Mags snorted and jabbed him in the side with her cane. “Liar. You knew.”

Gage ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “I don’t know how many times I can say the same shit before it sinks in. I didn’t know I’d-”

“Fall for the Boss? Let her use you, turn you into her plaything?”

“Val ain’t like that.”

Mags dropped her cigarette and ground it out with her boot. “Maybe she’s not, but she’s still more of a Raider than you were. We just didn’t know how strong her gang really was. But you had to know something.”

Groaning, Gage threw his hands up. “Fine, I felt somethin’ in the air. _Sparks_ and all that shit. Is that what you want me to say? I saw the Hero of the Commonwealth and thought she could save my poor, damned soul. And she did. By _God_ , I’ve been saved by the love of a good woman! Is that what you wanted to hear?!”

Before Mags could reply, one of the Knights poked his head outside, a gun in hand. “What’s all the shouting?”

Mags turned and hobbled toward the door of Longfellow’s cabin. “Nothing to concern yourself with, Knight. Just ex-Raiders being melodramatic, that’s all.”

The Knight watched Mags head inside, then cast a look over to Gage.

“You coming, Warden?”

Gage rubbed at his collarbone, feeling the rings Val had given him press into his skin. Two little gold bands had felt like a noose when he first donned the chain, but he never could let them go.

“Yeah, I’ll be in…”

The tether of the chain felt lighter as he thought back to what he’d said to Mags.

How much _had_ he changed?

*****

_“Hey, Commonwealth! You’re listening to Sanctuary Radio. So, last time I left ya, we were talking about how your General and mine, Valkyrie, took on a buncha robots in the Galaxy Zone. If you don’t remember, that’s on you - HA! Nah, but seriously, the next part, well… it’s pretty gross. The Pack out there knows these little ugly assholes called ‘Bloodworms.’ Well, they are just about the nastiest things we ever encountered outside Nuka Town...”_

Guitar strums echoed from Redeye’s radio booth while Val leaned over her sink to bathe Freya, the infant girl splashing in the inch of water surrounding her. Kid stood by with a towel in hand, looking more like he was ready to catch a live grenade than hold his sister.

“Is what he says true? Bout you an’ Gage?” he asked.

Valkyrie snorted. “Not as true as Red likes to make it sound. Those bloodworms were pretty gross though. They laid their eggs in dead Brahmin. Watching the bodies squirm as they got ready to hatch…” Val shuddered and lifted Freya out into Kid’s arms.

Kid wrapped Freya as best he could, aided by Val’s hands.

“So, you and Gage really took the park together? And that’s why you… um…” Kid looked down at Freya, swaddled in her towel, and frowned.

“Hooked up?” Val asked, keeping close to Kid. “It’s not like we just said ‘hey, let’s fuck.’ Your dad’s not exactly the romantic type.” She smiled and positioned Freya in Kid’s arms, letting him hold her while she led the way to the kids’ room.

Kid faltered as he followed behind. “But, you’re with him now.”

“That still a hard thing to believe?”

“I guess I just don’t get it. You’re the General, he’s a Raider.”

“ _Was_ a Raider. Now he’s Brotherhood, much as that’s worth.” Val gestured to the changing table. Kid laid Freya down and pulled away.

“Why not just lay claim to him and kill that Maxson guy?” Kid asked.

Valkyrie put a cloth diaper on Freya and pinned it in place, dressing her child as she floundered for a response.

“For one thing, I don’t own Porter, and he doesn’t own me. Raider or not, I don’t think he’d enjoy being a trophy.”

“Dunno, it’s more of a… Raider thing to do. Might appreciate it.”

Val stood up, holding Freya in place with one hand, her other on her hip.

“Gage doesn’t really care for Raiders on the whole. Least not the ‘party like it’s your last’ mindset.”

Kid folded his arms over his chest and shrank back. He leaned against the bedroom wall and slid down, crouching until he was a little ball near the floor.

“Don’t think he’ll like me much, then.”

Val sighed and put Freya in her crib, then leaned down and put a hand on Kid’s shoulder.

“I think you’re doing alright here. Hell, Porter doesn’t quite fit in half the time, but he makes it work. He does what he needs to get on - having everybody like him isn’t a priority. You shouldn’t worry about what he thinks of you.”

“But I do.” Kid looked up, eyes round and glassy.

Val pulled Kid against her shoulder and held onto him, rubbing his back. “You worry too much, Kid. Even if he doesn’t care for your life beforehand, worst you’ll see is him putting up with you. I’m still in charge here, so it ain’t like you’ll be kicked out.”

Kid sniffed and nodded. “You’re real nice.”

Valkyrie laughed and mussed his Mohawk. “Only when I’m not armed.”

*****

 _Nice._ Kid had never been around people who were _nice_. Raiders were never nice - not without it costing him something else. Valkyrie was nice, but she was the General, and her people paid her back with loyalty - that’s what Kid could see, anyway.

Laying back in a bed in the provisioner bunk house, Kid listened and waited. He could hear snoring, someone else muttering in their sleep.

That little sniper guy - MacCready - sat up with a yelp and clutched at his chest, breathing heavy. Kid closed his eyes and rolled over. Years of dealing with his Boss checking up, making sure he was asleep, Kid knew how to look like he was passed out. He didn’t want MacCready to think he was snooping.

From where he laid, Kid could hear MacCready shuffling around in his bunk and heading out, the door banging hard with his exit.

Kid sat up and looked over toward MacCready’s bed. His kid was asleep nearby, unaware of his dad’s freakout. Little runt of a thing. A few of the other people were already sorting themselves out, also awakened by Mac’s panic attack. Many were pulling their blankets up to go back to sleep.

Slipping off his bed, Kid pulled on his boots and crept out the door. He gave a sweeping look around the settlement, to the posted night guards at the fringes. That one little green bot with the crooked arms shambled by in the distance.

Keeping low, Kid slipped between the houses, passing the Pack house. Inside, he could hear some of them talking, so he crouched under the window and held his breath.

“Where you going, boss?” said one Pack member.

“None of your fucking business, Tweez.”

Kid felt his body tense up as he hunkered between the Pack house and the metal tables they had outside. He could hear Mason, that big gorilla, stomp outside. Peering around the edge of the table, he watched Mason stretch his arms until his tank top rode up. He lit a cigar and started walking away, toward the outer edge of Sanctuary, and away from Kid.

Letting out his breath, Kid moved around the backs of the houses, toward Val’s place. Careful of her Hubflower bushes, Kid moved around until he was at the patio, where a table and a couple of chairs sat. On the table was the stub of an unlit candle in a Nuka Cola bottle, the wax in hard drips down the sides. An ashtray and an unattended flip lighter sat beside it.

Kid moved to sit in the chair closest to the ashtray. He picked it up and pulled out his bootknife, scraping at the charred bottom, cleaning it.

Val had made an offhand comment during Kid’s “welcome tour” about sitting out on the patio with Gage while he smoked. She’d have a drink, and they would sit out there, together, not even talking. Kid had pried her for a little more information about Gage, causing her to get a funny little smile on her face. Somewhere between sad and happy, Kid thought. She didn’t say much else, just patted his shoulder and went back inside.

As he scraped, turning his fingers gray, Kid wondered about his father. All he had to go on was his mom’s shitty memory, Val’s word… and what his Boss had told him.

_“Sorry sonuvabitch shoulda died. Go find Gage, Kid. Do something right for once and finish him for me.”_

Kid paused and rubbed at his nose with the back of his wrist. Sniffling, he shoved Connor’s harsh words to the back of his mind. Connor never seemed to like _him_ , even though he took Kid’s mom as his woman before he was even born. According to Val, he looked just like his father, and that seemed to explain Connor’s order: Kill Porter Gage.

Problem was, he liked Val. Val didn’t yell at him or expect anything, though Kid had made sure to be useful ever since she had brought him to Sanctuary. Like now, cleaning Gage’s ashtray. He flipped it over and tapped out the ashes on his jeans, blowing loose dust into the air. Once that was done, Kid rooted around Val’s home garden, digging out weeds with his knife, trimming dead leaves and rotted flowers. His fingers were numb and blistered by the time he was done.

Dawn came crawling over the hills, burning away morning fog and greeting Kid as he cut a few Hubflowers from one of Val’s bushes. Just as he opened the door to sneak into Val’s house, Shaun looked up from the couch, greeting him with a warm: “Good morning!”

Kid nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn’t expect anyone to be awake.

“Holy fuck…” Kid leaned on Val’s counter and put his hand over his chest, barely holding onto the bunch of flowers in his hand.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are those for Mom?” Shaun got up from the couch and approached, inspecting the bouquet.

“Uh, yeah…” Kid thrust the bunch at Shaun, who gingerly took them from Kid and laid them on the kitchen table.

“Your hands are bleeding.”

Kid hid his hands behind his back, unused to the concerned tone. “I’m fine,” he muttered, wiping his hands on his shirt.

“Here, lemme help-”

“Why?” Kid blurted out.

Shaun looked up at him, a little surprised, but took a step back.

“We’re family now, aren’t we?” Shaun asked.

Kid swallowed hard and looked away. _Family. Right._

“Yeah, I guess…” Kid trailed.

Shaun smiled and pulled him over to the sink. “Here, I’ll help you clean up.” He climbed up a stepladder and got the water flowing.

Kid stood by while Shaun scrubbed at his hands; Staring at the contrast, his calloused, filthy and bloody hands, with Shaun’s, so small and pale and _fragile…_ Kid felt sick. He didn’t belong here. These people were gonna kick him out, he was certain of it. He felt dizzy.

“Stop.”

Shaun paused, holding the soap and leaning back on his stepladder. The kitchenette went quiet, save for the sound of water and Kid’s heart hammering in his ears.

“What’s wrong?” Shaun asked, his voice small. _Too_ small.

Kid turned away and grabbed the countertop. The world was spinning, and his breathing came in rapid gasps. _Don’t you fucking cry, you ugly bastard! I’ll fucking leave you to the next gang that comes through, let them have a little shitstain like you._

“Are you okay?” Shaun asked again, leaning over to put his hand on Kid’s arm.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Kid snapped, jerking back and into Valkyrie’s stove. The cold pot on top rattled loudly.

A moment later, Val was in the kitchen, holding up one of her handguns. Val was only dressed in a pair of underwear and one of Gage’s shirts, but Kid recoiled at the site of her.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Mom! It’s okay!” Shaun said, climbing down from his stool.

Kid curled over into a ball near the floor, covering his head.

“Shit, Kid…” Val said. Kid could distantly hear her put the gun down, the sound of her bare feet on the floor. He curled up tighter, hands protecting his skull.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Kid repeated, over and over. He could hear Connor yelling at him, even if Val’s voice was soft and gentle. _You fucking useless twat. At least your real dad was fucking smart, on occasion. Get the hell away from me._

“Kid, it’s okay, you just startled me…”

Whimpering, Kid stopped talking and stayed where he was. In the far rooms, Freya started to cry, and he felt Val’s presence leave him. Shaun approached; Kid could hear his sneakers on the flooring.

“You okay?” Shaun’s hand gently laid on his arm. Flinching, Kid tried to calm down.

“I don’t belong here,” Kid murmured. “I’m a raider, I’m not like Gage… I can see how she looks at me.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m a ghost. I look just like him, right? But I’m not, so she’s disappointed.” Kid peeked through his arms to see Shaun sitting, cross-legged, in front of him.

Shaun put his chin in his hands. “I don’t think she’s disappointed. She just misses Gage. I don’t think she knows what to make of you, yet. It was the same when I came back from the Institute.”

“Institute?”

Tilting his head so his cheek was in his hand, Shaun sighed. “Mom didn’t get to raise me. I was taken, when I was a baby, to the Institute. At least, that’s what Father told me.”

Kid frowned. “What’s the Institute?”

“It’s where I’m from. Really from. I’m a Synth. I’m not a real boy.”

Uncurling his body, Kid fell back on his ass. “You’re not real? You look real.”

“Yeah, I know.” Shaun pushed a finger through some dirt Kid had trailed inside on his boots. “Mom thinks I don’t know, but I do. Father - the man who made the Synths, was also named Shaun. I’m his replica. Father was her real son.”

Rubbing the back of his head, Kid felt his anxiety ebbing. Shaun was a fake kid. He’d heard rumors of Synths, but he’d never met one, as far as he knew. If they looked real-

“So, like… you’re a copy of the real thing?” Shaun nodded. “And… You look just like him…” Kid huffed and shook his head. “But she takes care of you.”

“Yeah, and you. She loves me, I know that. And she loves Freya. She’s trying to love you, too, I bet. Mom just…” Shaun leaned back and caught himself on his palms, looking up at the ceiling fan above them. “She’s a sniper. She has to get a good look at a distance before she comes closer.”

Kid rubbed at his face and leaned forward. “I get that. Makes… a lot of sense, really.”

Shaun rolled forward and got to his feet. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, okay? Mom will make the call when she’s ready.”

Shaun held his hand out and Kid had to laugh.

“I don’t think you’re strong enough to pick up even my skinny ass,” Kid said, getting to his feet. “But… thanks.”

Shaun smiled up and him and tugged on Kid’s hand, pulling him back toward the kitchen table. “That’s what family is for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! I've been having a rough time, but I'm getting better, hence an update! <3 Thank you all for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> The Raider idea came from a completely random encounter I had with an unfortunate Raider I shot while playing. He LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE A YOUNGER GAGE. Thus, a new character was born. (Alternatively, a plot bunny nestled in my brain and gave me the start to my new arc and wouldn't leave me alone, lol). 
> 
> Thanks, as always, for your support!


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